Abstract:Structural seismic design is regarded as the main course of civil engineering specialty. There are two steps of inquiry teaching in practice. One is situation setting according to questioning, and the other is active instruction in the light of its general trend. Combined with many engineering cases, situations were induced based on students’ cognitive structure. Progressive questionings transformed students from viewers to participants. The serial and parallel scenes were selected considered the teaching contents. Teachers’ leading and students’ initiative were stressed during the interaction process. The new cognitive structure model was built with assimilation and complied with the matter.